Ordnance Missile Packs
‘There’s little glory to be had standing back and hitting an enemy from out of sight. There’s less glory to be had charging into battle and wasting good warriors for no better reason than because you wanted to stare the enemy right in the eye.” ----War Chieftain Tasis Dark-Lightning, DarkWater Tribe. Warmount Ordnance Missile Packs aka ‘Whomps’ These are a field refit to existing Monst-rex Warmounts, meant to increase their utility as ranged weapons platforms, first seen during the Shemarrian Civil War. ARCHIE-3 placed little emphasis on missile weaponry when he and Hagan created the Shemarrians, in part due to the desire to leave as little actual physical evidence behind (in the form of missile parts) and also because of the greater logistic demands of supplying his proxy troops with more sophisticated missile ordnance. The rebel EShemar had fewer compunctions about using missiles (and in fact one of their first home-brewed Warmounts was used mainly as a missile truck) to fend off both ARCHIE-3’s robotic minions AND blast the Splugorth from long range. It was the EShemar who first began field-fitting their Monst-Rex warmounts into impromptu artillery platforms, using ordnance hardpoints and aircraft rocket launchers acquired from mercenaries and the Black Market. Meant to supplement the existing modular weapons available to the Monst-rexes, the WOMPs are ‘saddle-pack’-style weapons hardpoints similar in general configuration to the cargo panniers on the Monst-Rex ”Pack Mule”. The ‘yoke’ fits over the back spikes (they can only reach half as far and do half damage while the WOMP is fitted), with a hardpoint on each side. Each hardpoint can be fitted with an adjustable angle rocket launcher, or (later on) with an automatic mortar or grenade launcher. The added weight and encumbrance does slow the Warmount up some, but adds heavy-hitting ranged firepower. Once expended, the launchers can be reloaded (typically from an accompanying ‘pack-mule’, or the entire assembly can be ejected and discarded, freeing the Monst-rex up for front line combat (or fast retreat). Though many warriors initially chafed at the idea of being stuck with support fire duty (a problem solved by assigning the task to NeShemar, or rotating the duty), the WOMPs proved enormously successful and the idea was later adapted to other large quadruped Warmounts (especially those with available backs), such as robotic Rhino-Buffalo. The concept is also used throughout the Shemarrian Star Nation. When first seen deployed in Europe by Shemarrian expeditionary force members, NGR observers compared the refit to pre-Rifts German vehicles, especially the WW2-era SdKfz 251, reviving (perhaps more appropriately) the nicknames of Stuka-zu-fuss (‘Foot Stuka’) or Heulende Kuh (‘Howling Cow’) for the Shemarrian robot animals with rocket launchers. These are some of the first weapon templates given to Fringe Tribes to give them heavy firepower as the technology to create them is extremely common amongst the tribes. Stats Early models were patchwork, and used whatever missiles the EShemarrians were able to acquire. New models are built using standard patterns shared throughout all the Tribes. Typically has 2 slots available except for exceptionally large systems. Penalty When fully loaded, reduce maximum running speed by 25%. Mini-Missiles 19 shot pod per hardpoint Short Range Missiles 5 shot box pod per hardpoint Medium Range Missiles 3 per hardpoint Katyusha launcher Simple and classic 122mm ballistic rocket artillery, comes in short and long range rockets. Weight Short 102 lbs, Long 170 lbs Warheads Both missile types use a 122mm warhead, typically the following warhead types (damage may vary as much as 50% by the quality of warhead manufacture). Fragmentation 1d6x10 MD to a 60 ft blast radius Incendiary 1d4x10 MD to a 50 ft blast radius, plus 01-75% chance of setting combustible materials aflame. High Explosive 2d6x10 MD to a 20 ft blast radius Plasma 3d4x10 MD to a 40 ft blast radius Smoke Covers a 100 ft area in thick obscuring smoke. Typically disperses within 1d6 melees, depending on local wind and humidity conditions. Chemical Varies, but typically used to dispense CS or nerve agents. Rarely used, on Rifts Earth, since ARCHIE-3’s minions didn’t breath, and most Splugorth minions had either supernatural constitutions or magical/technological NBC protections. Typically covers a 100 ft area. Like the smoke, local weather conditions determine the dispersal rate. Submunition Detonates airburst style over the target and scatters a small cloud of grenade-like sub-mines, that can be used to infilade an area with contact explosives or delayed-fuze mines. Carries over 18 submunitions, scattering over a 100 ft area, and doing 5d6 MD to a 10 ft blast radius each. Penalties Katyushas use the standard rules for unguided artillery with regard to deviation from target. Best fired in salvos of 4 or more rockets. Rifle Grenades Taking advantage of the availability of 30-50 mm rifle grenades, the EShemar fitted each hardpoint with a ‘hedgerow’ of spigot-launchers, topped by a rifle-grenade. Though much shorter-ranged than the other WOMPs, firing them in salvo could prove to have a devastating effect, especially on massed enemy formations. Riot Combination flash-bang and rubber pellet charge. Victims are -10 to strike, parry, and dodge, -1 to initiative, and lose 1 APM for 1d4 melees. Rubber pellets do 1d4 SDC damage, but have a 60% chance of knockdown for any human-sized, or smaller, beings, caught in a 10 ft blast radius, lose initiative and 1 APM for that melee. (cost: 80 credits) Fragmentation-SDC 2d4x10 SDC to 20 ft blast radius (cost: 100 credits) Fragmentation-MD 3d6 MD to 25 ft blast radius (cost: 280 credits) High Explosive 6d6 MD to 10 ft blast radius (cost: 360 credits) Anti-Armor HEAT Very heavy projectile (range drops to 120 ft) Does 2d4x10 MD to a 1 ft diameter area (shaped charge) (cost: 800 credits) Plasma/Micro-Fusion 1d6x10 MD to 8 ft blast radius (cost: 800 credits) Incendiary 2d6 MD flash damage to 12 ft blast radius, plus does 1d4 MD per melee for 2d4 melees (cost: 350 credits) Acid 4d6 MD to a 5 ft radius, then diminishes in strength by 1d6 each melee (lasts about 4 melees) (cost: credits) Chemical Effects vary, but contains enough chemical agent to cover a 15 ft radius Illumination Can loft to an altitude of 600 ft, and illuminate a 500 ft radius for 4d4 melees. (cost: 15 credits) Note Additional grenade types, including TW munitions, can be used as available. 40mm Automatic Grenade Launcher Another weapon acquired from allies and black market sources. 82mm Mortars Based on a Free Quebec Glitterboy weapon (and copied by both Paladin Steel and the EShemar). Category:Ordnance Missile Packs Category:Ranged Weapon Category:Artillery Category:Warmount Weapon Category:Weapon